Bitcoin Forum

So I just created a paper wallet.

These were the steps I have taken:

- I created a Ubuntu 12.04 installation pen drive (drive I)
- I used the generator from BitAddress.org, saved the html file to another usb pen drive (drive II)
- Then booted up my pc from the Ubuntu pen drive (I) with the network cable unplugged
- I chose the 'Try Ubuntu without installation' option
- Generated a paper wallet by running the html file from BitAddress.org in a room with the curtains closed
- I printed the wallet to a .pdf file and stored it on my other usb pen drive (drive II).

Now I have 2 questions:

1. What do I do with the installation pen drive (drive I)? The 'Try Ubuntu' seems to be running in RAM only, but is it completely volatile? Or did it save my private key somewhere on the pen drive?

2. I would like to make a copy of the 'paper' wallet .pdf file and store it in the cloud, so I can restore it in case I lose the USB pen drive. Is there a safe way to do that? I know that the wallet can not be considered 'Cold' anymore once I do so, but I don't want to rely on this one usb pen drive only.

1) you are safe... In case you're paranoid, you can always scratch the usb (dd if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/sdd1), but there is actually no need to do this.
2) i would personally just print out the pdf on a printer that allows you to boot from usb. Maybe restart the printer after you're done just to be sure.

BTW: i hope you did use encryption for you key. I think good encryption is really important when printing paper keys.

No I did not use encryption. The purpose here is long time storage. If I pass away, I want my kids to be able to spend my coins without having to remember a password.

I have a printer here that I am able to use from the Ubuntu pen drive, but it does have WiFi capabilities. Never used the printer over WiFi though. Is it safe to use that printer?

This was the most important step.  :D :D

You created the wallet pretty safely on an air gapped OS, if the USB drive running the Ubuntu wasn't persistent then the private key could not have saved anywhere.

I would recommend not to upload it to any cloud services because that is just asking to get robbed. Since you created the wallet unencrypted, anyone can use it if they get their hands on it, so make sure to keep the usb somewhere safe and make sure you create other copies of it just incase one gets corrupt.

You can use the printer to print paper wallets but make sure to do it with a machine that stays offline or again on an air gapped OS like ubuntu live and clear the printer's memory after the use. And again, you will need to keep those paper wallets at a safe place because without encryption they're just money that anybody can use if they get hold of those wallets.

I think you are safe as long as your are not printing over wifi.

Some sniffers software can capture packets of your wifi transmission and have a small chance of recovering the content transferred over wifi. I also didn't use BIP38 for paper wallets as I am not sure if I myself will still remember how to decrypt it 5 years down the road nor will the software to decrpyt BIP38 still available...

Yes, exactly. So people in favor of encryption: how do you see this? What if BIP38 is not used anymore? How will I or my kids know how to decrypt the wallet?

Real life situation: I encrypted my wallet with my wife's password (really).
In case you're paranoid about encryption still being available: you can always save the bittadress.org zip also on your thumb drive ;)

I would just print the PDF, paper lasts much longer than a USB-stick. Or, just write the private key down in a book, inside a wall, at the back of a wall-mounted (empty?) safe, or anywhere else nobody would guess.